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BLOG: From The Front Lines With Zinno

Hi everyone!  Greetings from Fort Dix, New Jersey.  We are about a week into our deployment ... AHEM! I mean, adventure and things are going really well.  In reality, not much has gone on yet.  It's been a lot of paperwork, in-processing and medical testing.  The government makes sure that their soldiers are ready to perform physically so it can be a lengthy process.  Much of the work has been in a classroom setting, just going over what is going on currently in the Middle East, operational tempo, lifestyle changes, rules of engagement, etc.  Our unit is a small one so we are moving fairly quickly through most of the preliminary stuff.  And thankfully we have had a bunch of down time to relax, unpack and get settled.

We all miss our families and loved ones but we are able to stay connected rather easily because of wireless internet in the barracks.  The whole unit is full of Ravens fans and we were all on hand to watch the Ravens-Chiefs game.  I am already making provisions for the unit to be front and center when they face the Steelers this Saturday.  We also watched the BCS National Championship game!

Lastly, it is cold here!  Like I needed to tell you that!  But it makes outdoor training a little unbearable at times ... and it almost makes us want to get to Iraq because of the warm sun!!!

I hope everyone has been doing well and PLEASE keep the emails coming!  It is great that so many of you keep writing me!  It's great to hear from you!  zinno@1057thefan.com is the address if you needed it.

Coming home with a "W" ...

Zinno

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Zinno was ready for the Ravens-Chiefs game!
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Not the kind of "shot" I was hoping for ...
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I was having fun with my lieutenant before our hearing exams.
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